Garbage disposal machines



April 17, 1956 W. P. GRUENDLER GARBAGE DISPOSAL MACHINES Filed Jan. 15, 1953 FIG. 4.

INVENTOR.

WILLIAM P. GRUENDLER flWfl/Vf) GARBAGE DISPOSAL MACHINES William P. Gruendler, Ladue, Mo., assignor to Gruendler Crusher and Pulverizer Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application January 15, 1953, Serial No. 331,472 Claims. cl. 241-46 'This invention relates in general to garbage disposal machines and, more particularly, to certain new and useful improvements in machines for sluicing off table scraps, garbage, and the like from dishes and reducing same to a finely divided state for suspension in a flowing stream of water.

It is the primaryiobject of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal machine capable of handling a large volume of work for usein large restaurants, mess halls, andthe like where large numbers of people are,

fed.

lt'i's also an object of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal machine which is readily adaptable to disposal of so-called yard garbage in restaurants, that is to say, garbage resultingfrom preparation of food in restaurants, such as peelings, vegetable tops, and the like. e I t means for preventing the entrance into the machine of silverware and other utensils associated with the plates to be scrapped.

It is an additional object of scraps and garbage to a very fluid sludge or suspension for discharge into a sewer with a minimum wastage of water. i

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal machine which is economical in construction, reliable in operation, and includes an interlocking control between the motor and the water valve to insure safe operation, 0

With the above and other objects in view, myinven tion resides in the novel features of form, construction,

, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings' 1 Figure l is a top plan view of a garbage disposal machine constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along I line 33 of Figure 2; and v view taken along Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional line 4-4 of Figure 3..

Referring now in more detail and byreference characters to the drawings, 'which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a garbage disposal machine comprising a rectangular box-like hous- It is another object of thepresent invention to provide the present invention to provide a garbage disposal machine which reduces food r ce . ing or cabinet 1, fabricated preferably of sheet metal and having vertical front and back walls 2, 2', end walls 3, 3', and a top wall 4, a substantial portion of which is cut away in the provision of a rectangular aperture 5 opening into the interior of the container 1. Disposed within the aperture 5 is a rectangular tray or pan member 6 having upstanding side walls 7, 7, joined at their opposite ends to transverse or end walls 8, 8'. Formed integrally with and extending across the lower margins of the side walls 7, 7, and end walls 8, 8', is a bottom wall 9 having an initial arcuate portion 10 curving downwardly from the end wall 8 to form a shallow well 11 v and curving thence upwardly to form a shoulder or ridgelike portion 12. Beyond the shoulder 12, the bottom wall 9 slopes gently downwardly to the other end wall 8' and adjacent thereto is provided with a rectangular aperture 13. The side walls 7, 7 and the end walls 8, 8', are integrally provided on their upper margins with outwardly extending flanges 14, 14, 15, 15 respectively, which rest upon the adjacent upper surfaces of the top wall 4 of the housing 1 to maintain the tray member 6 in position.

Provided for slidable disposition within the open top portion of the tray 6 is an. auxiliary tray 16 having two longitudinal side walls 17, 17', and a single transverse end wall 18 being open at its other transverse end. Formed integrally with and extending across the lower margins of the side walls 17, 17, and end wall 18 is a bottom wall 19 having a downwardly inclined portion 20 and upwardly inclined portion 20.

with the tray 6, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2.

Secured, as by welding, to'the under face of the bottom wall 9, in marginal alignment with the rectangular aperture 13, is a downwardly extending chute 23 which is connected with and opens into the housing 24 of a rotary hammermill 25. 1

The hammermill 25 comprises acylindrical cage 26 through which extends a shaft 27 projecting at its ends through suitable apertures in the walls of the housing 24. The projecting portions of the shaft 27 are mounted in journal bearings 28, 29, and connected to a conventional electric motor 30-suitably supported upon angle sections 1 31 which are, in turn, mounted upon plates 32 held in elevated relation to the floor or other support surface by upstanding angle sections 33 (see Figure 3). Leading from the motor 30 is a cable 34 connected to a control box 35 mounted on a convenient external portion of the motor 30 and is connected by a cable 36 to a source of electricity (not shown).

Keyed upon the shaft 27 within the housing 24 is a sleeve 37 having mounted thereon a plurality of oppositely extending hammers 38. Disposed within the cage 26 of the hammermill 25 and about the lower portion thereof is a semi-cylindrical grinder screen 39, positioned in its bottom section across a discharge aperture 40 provided in the hammermill 25 which opens into a discharge pipe 1 41,- which is conventionally connected to a sewer line (not shown).

dish-sluicing, horizontally swingable faucet-spout 47, and

a dual mixer-type sink faucet 48 having a cold-water valve 49, a horizontally swingable faucet-spout 50, and a Patented Apr.j17, 1956 The side walls" 17, 17', and end wall 18 are further integrally provided around their upper margins with flangeslll, 21, and 22, respectively, for sliding and supportive engagement Similarly hot-water valve 51, the latter being connected through a i supply pipe 52 to any suitable source of hot water (not shown). Between the risers 45, 46, the pipe 43 is provided with a valve 53 operably connected by an elongated valve stemto a handle 55 located accessibly on the rear flange 14' of the pan member 6. Similarlyfbetwecn' the valve 53 and riser 45, the pipe 43' is provided with a conventional flow-responsive switch 56' electrically connected to'the control box to'provide a safety interlock between the pipe 43' and motor 30 so that the latter will .be turned on only when water is flowing to the riser 45 and thence outwardly through the faucet-spout 47. In

other words, the handle constitutes a single control for turningon and turning oil both flow of electric current to the electric motor 30' and the flow of water tothe faucet-spout 47. 1

'Provided for removable co-operation with the tray or pan member 6 is an enclosed rectangular safety feed-box 57 formed ofsheet metal and integrally including a horizontal top wall 58, vertical front and rear walls 59, 60,

a vertical end wall 61, and a three-sidedbottom-flange 62 extending horizontally inwardly from and around the lower margins of the front, rear and end walls 55?; 60, 61.

'Inoperatiomwith water being discharged through the faucet-spout 47 into the well 11 of the tray 6 and themotor 30 running, dishes and tableware may be held under the stream. of water and any scraps remaining thereon willbe sluiced oil. The food' scraps will thus be carried by the continuous flow of water 'overthe shoulder 12: through the swinging doors 64 and thence through the chute 23 into the cage or grinding chamber 26 of the hammermill 25. Therein, the food particles and scraps will be pulverized until of sul'licient fineness to pass. through the mesh or screen 39 and into the discharge pipe 41.

In the event that silverware associated with the plates being washed should inadvertently fall into the well 11, there is no danger of such being carried through the machine for possible damage thereto, since the shoulder 12 will effectively block any further movement of the silverware. Dishes and tableware can further be pre-rinsed under the faucet-spout 59 as necessary or desired, in which case the auxiliary tray 16 will operate. as an additional silver-catching means. 'For purposes of cleaning, the auxiliary tray 16 and feed-box 57 may be completely removed whenever desired. 3

The machine A is thus designed to serve simultaneously in a dual capacity. It functions both 'as a dish scraper and as a garbage grinder, it being. evident that the time saving efiected thereby appreciably reduces the number of employees ordinarily required in a restaurant, cafeteria, and: the like.

It should be understood that changes and tions in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the'several parts of thegarbage disposal machine may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 7

. 1. A garbage disposal machine comprisinga'housing having anoblong rectangular tray-like top member provided'with an elongated rectangular top opening and-having a bottom wall separated intotwo portions by a trans.-

modifica- Cir verse upstanding shoulder,

one of said portions being downwardly curved to provide a. dished well extending transversely across one end of said top member, the other portion being inclined downwardly away from the shoulder in a gentle slope, an auxiliary tray having a'bottom wall disposed substantially below the plane of the rectangular top opening, said tray being shiftably disposed upon said top member for movement lengthwise of said top member, saidtray furthermore being open across onetransverse end so as to discharge the garbage-laden stream of water downwardly into a tray-like top member, a grinder of the hammermill type disposed in said housing and communicating with said top member through an aperture in the top member adjacent one end thereof, means for directing-,a flow of water into the other end of the top member with respect to the grinder for washing food scraps into and along said top member and thence into the grinder for disintegration, and asubstantially vertical bafile extending angularly from one longitudinal side wall of the tray-like top member angularly inwardly toward the aperture.

2. A garbage disposal machine comprising a housing having anoblong rectangular tray-liketop member provided with an elongated rectangular top opening and having-a bottom wall separated into two portions by a transverse upstanding shoulder, one of said portions being downwardly curved to provide a dished well extending transversely across one end of said top member, the other portion being inclined downwardly away from the shoulderin a gentle slope, an auxiliary tray having a bottom wall disposed substantially below the plane of the rectangular top-opening, said tray being shiftably disposed upon said top member for movement lengthwise of said top member, said auxiliary'tray being closed along one transverseend and being open at its other transverse end, said tray further being provided with a downwardly inclined bottom wall which is turned upwardly adjacent the open end in-the provision of a lip, a grinder disposed in said housing and communicating with said top member through: an aperture in the top member adjacent one end thereof, and means for directing a flow of water into the other end of the top member with respect to the grinder bottom wall disposed substantially below the plane of the rectangular top opening, said tray being disposed upon said top member 'formovement lengthwise of said top mem her, said auxiliary tray being of such length as to extend in overlying relationship above the inclined portion of the tray like top member from the upstanding shoulder to the lowermost point thereof, a grinder of the hammermill type disposed in said housing and communicating with said top member through an aperture in the top member. adjacent one end thereof, means for directing a flow of water into the other end of the top member with respect to the grinder for washing food scraps into and along said top member and thence into the grinder for disintegration, and a substantially-vertical baflie extending angularly from. one longitudinal side wall of-the'traylike top member angularly inwardly toward the aperture.

4. A garbage disposal machine. comprising a housing having an oblong rectangular tray-like top member provided withan elongated rectangular top opening and havinga bottom wall separated into two portions by a transverse upstanding shoulder, one of said portions being 1 downwardly curved to provide a dished we'll extending I transversely across one end of said top member, the

other portion being inclined downwardly away from the shoulder in a gentle slope, an auxiliary tray having a bottom wall disposed substantially below the plane of the rectangular top opening and having a downwardly inclined bottom Wall extending over the inclined portion of the tray-like top member, said tray being disposed upon said top member for movement lengthwise of said top member, said auxiliary tray being of such length as to extend in overlying relationship above the inclined portion of the tray-like top member from the upstanding shoulder to' the lowermostpoint thereof, a grinder of the hammermill type disposed in said housing and communicating with said top member through an aperture in the top member adjacent one end thereof, means for directing a How of water into the other end of the top member with respect to the grinder for washing food scraps into and along said top member and thence into the grinder for disintegration, and a substantially vertical bafile extend ing angularly from one longitudinal side wall of the traylike top member angularly inwardly toward the aperture.

5. A garbage disposal machine comprisinga housing, an oblong rectangular tray disposed closurewise across the top of the housing and being provided with an elongated rectangular top opening and having a curved bottom wall formed into a downwardly curved well and a gently inclined surface separated by a transversely extending shoulder, said inclined surface having an apertureat its lower end, an auxiliary tray mounted across the top opening and having a bottom wall spaced downwardly from the top opening, said'bottom wall being inclined in the opposite direction with respect to the inclination of the inclined surface, said auxiliary tray being open across its inner transverse margin in the position of a discharge lip which is located approximately above the shoulder, a

grinder of the hammermill type disposed in said housing and communicating with said aperture, said grinder having its shaft substantially parallel to the direction of flow of garbage-laden water over the auxiliary tray, means for directing a stream of water into the well at the other end of the tray with respect to the aperture for washing food scraps over the shoulder and into the grinder for disintegration, any silverware inadvertently falling into the well being restrained by the shoulder from being carried by the water into the grinder and a substantially vertical baflie extending from one longitudinal side wall of the tray angularly inwardly toward the aperture for constricting the flow of garbage-ladenwater across the inclined surface and causing an increase in depth of such garbage-laden stream of water as it approaches the aper-, 

